ARGENTINA — Zoo directors at Mendoza Zoo in Argentina refuse to transport Arturo, a 900 pound polar bear, to a more accommodating and spacious enclosure in Canada.

Arturo, a polar bear in Argentina’s Mendoza Zoo, lives alone in a concrete enclosure complete with only a 20 inch deep pool in which he may cool himself off with. His mate succumbed to cancer in 2012 and he has since had no interaction with other polar bears… leading a solitary life in a concrete box. With weather reaching nearly ninety degrees it is far from the temperatures polar bears can tolerate.

Arturo shows signs of distress that include baring teeth, pacing, and head tilting.

Attempting to cool off in Mendoza Zoo’s puddle.

Assiniboine Zoo, in Winnipeg, has allotted a ten acre home for Arturo, complete with a pool that is over twenty meters long and two meters deep… dressed up to be as natural as possible (known as the Sea Ice Passage).

If Mendoza Zoo agrees to allow Arturo to be moved he will be able to roam and swim within those ten acres. Yet Mendoza Zoo has halted all plans to move Arturo claiming he is too old for the dozen hour journey to Winnipeg (yet remains stressed on a daily basis at their inadequate facility). It also turns out that in order for the transfer to happen Mendoza Zoo will have to furnish his medical records extending the last three years… due to his condition and environment it is suspected that Mendoza Zoo has put a halt to any transfer as their neglect will further come to light.

Don’t forget to share this information on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever… Don’t be shy in sending the zoo an email as well – zoomendoza@yahoo.com.ar – you can also use something like Google translate to translate to Spanish.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of zoos are first and foremost a business… and it looks like Mendoza is just another zoo.